Anyone flown very soon (1-2 weeks) after giving birth?

[ChesterBelloc]

I've done plenty of reading about the baby's side of things, but would be interested in anyone's personal experiences of flying (5 hr flight, in my case, to a hot country, for 10 days) very soon after birth.

This is not my first child, and I tend to have quick, straightforward births without excessive bleeding afterwards - I'm aware that doesn't give me any guarantees this time around though!

So, any tips which might make my life easier would be appreciated. I'll be breastfeeding, so at least I won't have to faff around with bottles/sterilising etc.

Also, experiences as to how quickly you received your baby's passport! We'll have to use the 1 week Fast Track appointment service, but I've read several anecdotes about them arriving in fewer than 7 days... which would be helpful!

It took us 3 weeks to get an appointment to register DD but we do live in a city so maybe it's busier? We had a nightmare with her passport - all filled in correctly and no error on our part but they flagged it for extra checks so wrote to the person who had signed her passport photo etc. All in all it took 7 weeks to get it. Also during this time I looked at ways to fast track to speed it up and I think (but can't be sure) it said you couldn't do the quickest type of fast tracks for first passports only for renewals

I'd look into it and consider how you can ensure all documentation is on time

I flew with my seven week old recently. It was not planned but we had no choice. It was very easy - easier than corralling my older children and husband!

The fast track passport took 4 days this summer. Some airlines will let you fly with just a birth certificate though.

1 week after with No vaccinations and time for ears to settle.

No way

I was in hospital until DD was 5 days old and then re admitted very poorly with spesis. She was nearly two week old before we got home properly.

What the medical care like in this country? What if your baby develops jaundice or one of the many complications baby’s can have.

I know it's not your first dc, but what if you have a CS?....and yes you've bf before, but what if baby doesn't take to it...so many potential issues ( not to mention the vaccination issues alone) I wouldn't risk it ...I take its for a destination wedding?

I'm sorry but this incredibly selfish.

Recycled air means any germs can get to your baby who won't be vaccinated. What the fuck are you thinking?!

I used to fly a lot with young children for work. One time there was a family who's two kids had chicken pox on the flight. Fuck knows how they even got on.

The three kids I was traveling with all got it. One was only 6 months old and got very sick.

A newborn? I'm astounded any mother would put her baby through the trauma and risk of a long flight.

I’ve flown to holidays both times my dc were newborn, at 4.5 and 5 weeks so I’m not over cautious about it. Points against:
We could not have got the passport in a week , we are london based.
I’ve booked many many infant flights and it’s common to read babies must be 7 days old.
Are you going somewhere with good medical facilities? It is just too young a baby for me, you will barely know if they regaining lost weight , ie the absolute basics. I was back in hospital 5 days after birth last time with complications. Any pregnancy can have complications.

I've flown and travelled a lot, both with and without young kids. It would have to be a pretty spectacularly important event for your plan to even cross my mind. Aside from the already made point about the risks of flying with an unvaccinated baby, have you checked that your insurance company will provide cover to you so soon post-birth and to your baby? Given how common complications can be in the first few weeks postpartum, I'd have thought you'd be considered high risk. Don't even consider travelling without excellent insurance, which also covers repatriation expenses, which for a sick baby could be huge. Especially not to the States of course!

Also, if you end up having a c-section (I’ve had 4 births, first and last c-sections, emergency, no clue until giving birth they would be a c-section) then you will really struggle to find any insurance for yourself as most (every?) insurance company won’t insure until 3 months after an operation.

We couldn’t reg birth at hospital and it took over a week to get an appointment when we were totally flex on times...

I know you haven’t given details but honestly there is no trip in the world that I’d have to commit to now to travel then...
Could you get a last minute ticket?

I will double-check about insurance, thank you.

The problem about booking flights last minute is that we've no guarantees there'll be any available - or they might be 2/3 times the usual price.

Thanks, MummyShark.

I know that this is a once in a life time trip but the birth of this baby is once in a lifetime as well. the potential for stress and for things to go wrong is so high that personally I think rather than bust a gut to get everything in place so that you can go and then find that circumstances beyond your control mean you cant, it might be better to just accept now that you aren't going. Really so many things that could happen - health concerns about the flight, what if the baby gets sick do you speak the language and could you get to a hospital/doctor, what about your physical health etc etc. No holiday, how every precious or important is more important than a child. What does your doctor/health visitor say about this?

Yes flew 9 hours with an 8 day old baby. Baby was fine and I made sure I walked a lot and was well hydrated.

So you got the passport in good time, macdhui?

Yes, it arrived in 7 days - it was in Australia and we requested the fast service. I only came to have the baby and was returning home.

PS - it was for an Australian passport

Australian passports don’t have the requirement to register the birth first at an office - if you can’t do it in the hospital it adds time to the application.

There was a 3-4 weeks wait to register the birth in our area when our daughter was born.

Yeah, DS was born nearly 2 weeks ago and the first appointment to register him is in 2 weeks.

Are the flights a price that you can afford to let the money go if you can't make it? If it was a few 100 I might chance it, but not if it was going to hurt family finances.
I didn't fly until mine was 12 weeks

I wouldn't due to the risk of infection. Babies that small can get very sick very quickly from simple infections that wouldn't cause older kids any trouble. I know it's difficult to miss big once in a lifetime events, but your baby is a once in a lifetime events too!